Novelty doll



March 1,1927.

G. E. AUSTIN NOVELTY DOLL v Filed June 1 19 5 INVENTOR 6. am/$7747 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

UNITED STATES GILBERT E. AUSTIN, OF ATASOADERO, CALIFORNIA.

NOVELTY DOLL.

Application filed June 1, 1925. Serial No. 33,907.

My invention relates to a novelty doll or the like.

Anv object of the invention is to provide a doll or the like in which a different pair of eyes or other members may appear each time the doll is'manipulated in a certain manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide means which insure the proper positioning of the eyes or the like in their respective operative positions.

A further object is to provide an article with the above-mentioned features, which will be very simple and may be manufactured at low cost.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of thepreferred form of my invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawings and description, as I may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a doll made in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the doll taken at right angles to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the article is in the form ofa toy puppet representing a Chinese person and comprises a body 2 provided with a head The head as well as the remaining portion ofthe body is preferably formed hollow, and the interior portion of the former is in open com munication with the interior of the latter.

Formed in the head of the doll or puppetis a pair of openings 4 and 5 which serve as, or rather represent, eye sockets. The openings lead directly into the interior of the head, and thus have communication with interior portion of the rest of the body. Contained within the body is a plurality of subtantially spherical objects such as balls 7, which are freely movable within the body and are engageable in the openings 4 and 5 to provide eye-balls for the eye sockets as represented by such openings. The halls are provided in pairs each of which differ in some external characteristic from the other pairs. I have found it mostconvenient to differentiate the pairs by making them of different color. The balls are preferably of such size that they may engage in the openings 4 and 5 without passing through them.

It will now be evident that by properly tilting the doll, two balls may be caused to engage the openings and thus provide the doll with two eyes of one color, or more likely a pair of eyes of different colors. By then changing the position of the doll, the two balls will be withdrawn from the openings, and a new combination thereof permitted to engage the same. Changing the color of the dolls eyes, as well as the combinations thereof, produces a. rather marked transformation in the appearance of the doll, and afiords a source of much amusement. Considerable amusement may also he derived from the doll by allowing the different eyes and combinations thereof to represent points in a game. v

In order that the balls may be aided in moving into and remaining in engagement with the openings when the doll is held vertically, the portion ofthe interior of the head immediately to the rear of the openings is provided with an inclined surface 12 which slopes doi'vnwardly toward the openings. In the present embodiment oftheinventionsaid surface is provided for by means of a plate 13 suitably lined in the head. Cooperating with the surface 12 to'guide the balls to the openings are a deflector 1 1 and the, converging side walls 16 of the head. The members 12, 141 and 16 together define passages or compartments 17 and 18 througl'i which the balls must pass before engaging the openings l and 5 respectively. To allow a moderate backward tilting of the figure without d slodging the balls in the compartments, the rear edge of the plate 13 is preferably extended upwardly, more so at the center, so that it cooperates with the surface 12 and members 14 and 16 to define said compartments and assist in retaining the balls in the compartments.

In manipulating the doll, in order to place the eyeballs in the sockets, the doll is first inverted so that the balls may enter the head. By reason of the curved back wall 19 of the head the balls are guided toward the compartments and the foremost thereof enter the same. Then when the doll is turned back to upright position, one ball of those caught in each compartment will enter the sockets and remain therein until the doll is again inverted to effect a possible change of combination.

I claim 1. A novelty doll comprising a hollow body member provided with one or more exposed openings communicating with the interior of said member and a plurality of balls of different external characteristics and of greater size than said openings freely movable in said member and arranged to engage in said openings one at a time.

2. A novelty doll comprising ahollow body member provided with a pair ofiexposed openings communicating with the interior of said member, and a plurality of balls of different external characteristics and of greater size than said openings freely movable in the hollow of said member and adapted for engagement in said openings in an exposed position one at a time, the number of said balls being in excess of the number of said enings.

3. A novelty dolF comprising a hollow body member provided with a pair of exposed openings communicating with the interior of said member, a plurality of sets of balls of different external characteristics freely movable within said body! and of greater size than said openings and adapted for exposed engagement 1n said openings, and means for guiding the balls to said openings and preventing the exposure of more than one ball in each opening at one time.

i. A novelty doll comprising a hollow body provided with a head having a pair 7 of openings therein defining eye sockets and communicating with the hollow of the body, and a plurality of substantially spherical objects larger than said openings, some of the same and some of different colors, movable freely within said hollow body and engage-able one at a time in said openings to represent eye-balls when said doll is tipped.

5. A novelty doll comprising a hollow body provided with a head portion hav ing openings representing eye sockets and communicating with the interior of the body, a plurality of substantially spherical objects larger than said openings, at least one of which is of different color than the rest freely movable in the interior of the body and adapted for engagement in the said openings to represent eye-balls for the I sockets when said doll is tipped, and means within the body adjacent said openings dc fining compartments communicating with said openings and in which balls may be retained when the doll is in substantially erect position.

6. A novelty doll or the like comprising a hollow body member providcdwith one or more openings communicating with the interior of said body, a plurality of substantially spherical objects of different external characteristics and of greater size than said openings movable freely within said body and engageable singly in said openings when said body is tipped, and a run-way for said objects inclined downwardly toward and leading directly to each open- 1ng. V

7. A novelty doll comprising a hollow body member provided with one or more openings communicating with the interior of said member, and a plurality of sets of balls of different external characteristics and of greater size than said openings freely movable in said member and arranged to engage in said openings one at a time, there being at least as many balls 

